KABUL, Afghanistan — France has contributed €1 million in flexible humanitarian aid to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan, the UN agency announced on Tuesday.
According to a WFP statement, the six-month funding will allow the agency to support more than 1,100 Afghan families through vocational training programs, assistance to farmers in remote regions, and the creation of assets designed to build resilience against the impacts of climate change.
Families participating in vocational skills training or community asset projects will also receive food or a monthly allowance of 6,400 Afghanis (approximately $90) to help cover basic needs, WFP said.
“The climate crisis is destroying Afghanistan’s farms, homes, and hopes. With flash floods on top of years of drought, millions are left with no way to grow food or earn a living,” said Céline Jurgensen, France’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN agencies in Rome. “Afghan communities need long-term solutions to achieve economic independence and sustainable livelihoods.”
The WFP noted that its vocational training programs particularly aim to empower Afghan women by teaching marketable skills such as tailoring, carpet weaving, jam making, and food preservation. These programs not only provide livelihoods but also offer rare safe spaces for women outside their homes.
“To help Afghan communities stand on their own feet, WFP supports them—especially women—with vocational training and the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure, including irrigation canals, dams, and flood protection walls,” said Mutinta Chimuka, WFP’s acting country director in Afghanistan. “We thank the Government of France for their continued support to vulnerable communities.”
In 2023, WFP said it reached more than half a million Afghans through resilience projects, nearly half of whom were women and girls, by distributing 5,400 metric tons of food and nearly $24 million in cash assistance.
This year, WFP plans to reach 50,000 families, about 350,000 people, across 61 districts in 30 provinces. France has contributed approximately €50 million to WFP operations in Afghanistan between 2021 and 2024, the agency said.
